Nesting

Okay, I had my nesting spell on Monday!! One HUGE spurt of energy where I cleaned like a mad woman. I felt GREAT!! It is so awesome to feel SO GOOD!! Why can't everyday feel that good? I rearranged my whole walk in closet and got everything put together and ready for a baby boy to arrive. I cleaned my bathroom from top to bottom, my baseboards are shining. I cleaned my kitchen the same. I was running and jumping and just feeling awesome in general. I accomplished amazing things. It is the best day of the pregnancy!! I love it! (Hila, I got your gift packaged and mailed - Merry Christmas!)

The only bad part is that I was so busy RUNNING around the house, I forgot how clumsy I still am and just went to fast. I stubbed my foot and broke a toe.......... hahahaha... seriously. It turned a nice black color. :( It hurts so bad. But at the time I just kept on going. Cause when I get that energy spurt I feel to good to sit down. I had a rough night though, trying to remember it and not accidentally touch it or move the other toes around it. Extreemly painful.....

On a fun and interesting note...... I looked up in my blog when I "nested" with Shayla. I had my spurt of energy on the 18th and on the 30th I had her. Twelve days.

That would put me having this baby right around my birthday on the 20th. If it were to be about the same. The thing is, I have had a problem with their due date from the beginning. I believe it is wrong. I was based on the baby's size at my emergency ultrasound. When I looked at the calendar, I knew that I could not have possibly conceived around that time. I have believed from the beginning that I am at least a week farther into the pregnancy than they calculated, simply based on when I could have possibly conceived. I have always felt I am a week farther along than they figure.

So, I guess we will see. It really does not matter either way, this little man will come when he is good and ready. I just pray for another easy and safe delivery for me and little man. The first two were so smooth. This one I hope goes the same, whenever he comes. (I do secretly hope he does come before my birthday or a few days after it. Not on New Years. :)

36 weeks - The final countdown

I feel like a whale. In one week, my belly went straight out. My medium maternity shirts now have belly hanging out the bottom. The fabulous red-neck pregnant look. So, now it is larges and long mediums only, further limiting my clothing choices. Of course, if this one goes like the other ones, I am only looking at three more weeks or so. Both of my first two were born at 39 weeks. I am well aware that that does not mean it will happen this way this time, but - a girl can dream.

As of December 2, my husband was no longer active duty military. It happened suddenly and without warning. We are now without an income. I know there is not "good" time to be without that very important thing, it does seem like it happened at the worst time in our lives. Nine months pregnant, twenty days away from Christmas. We have no job prospects simply because we were not expecting this to happen in the least. Hubby is applying for jobs. We are not limited by geography, we will move anywhere. I think he is focusing on federal jobs, they tend to be military friendly and all his military training transfers to alot of these positions. These kinds of jobs take time. (I will clarify that this was a voluntary, honorable seperation - they offered us a terrible billet and said take it or get out....)

I would definitely say that this situation is much harder for me simply because I am pregnant. I am more emotional and easily overwhelmed, so I have cried alot. We saw alot of our plans and dreams simply disappear with this sudden life change. We are at a loss of what to expect from our future.

This is what we do know: The Lord led us here. We were given an ultimatum and God spoke CLEARLY as to what choice we were to make. This was one of the hardest decisions we have made, to give up income and security for the sake of our family. Family comes first, paychecks come second. That is a very noble statement, but when you are sitting here without any idea how you will pay for anything, with a baby on the way, it is very scary. We are trusting in the Lord. HE led us to this point, and HE will lead us the rest of the way. We are simply trusting in HIM. We have already seen fruits from this decision in our family, we have been blessed and brought together in a way we have not been since joining the military. We know we are sitting where HE wants us to be. It is the not knowing where we are going next or how in the world we will get there that is so very scary.

This has been a turbulent month in my life and in this pregnancy. Jon did sign up for the reserves, but we are waiting for a billet, which means we had to buy some insurance to cover having this baby boy.... which equals an obscene amount of mula... something we no longer have coming in... hahaha. (this was not funny two weeks ago, but now I have come to accept it and it is so surreal it is comical to me.)

You wonder why God allows things to happen the way HE does sometimes. In my selfish timing, I think his plan should have involved me having the baby, THEN getting out... But, the Bible says, "His ways are not our ways." So, for now I am just focusing on having this little man and taking each day a step at a time. We are all healthy, we are all together, and we will soon welcome a new little addition to our sweet little family. I am truly blessed!

35 week check up

Went back to the doctor today for a check up and an exam. I am one centimeter dilated and the baby is in position. Does not mean anything but my body is getting ready and it is right on schedule. I actually had contractions last week, but they were fake ones. I am moving right along and I am feeling pretty good. I am uncomfortable pretty much all the time, but that is normal too. I gained two more pounds, which puts me at 19 total.

My mother informs me that I need to have my bag and the baby's bag all packed up. I am apparently falling down on the job. It has not even occurred to me. I have not even picked out a coming home outfit for baby boy. I will do that this week, but I think I still have plenty of time... (famous last words..)

We did accomplish something this week. Shayla is officially out of her crib and into her big girl bed. It is so awesome. Gotta give kudos to Jon, he did it all. He has trained her the whole time. She sleeps all night in her big girl bed. She lays there and calls my name to come and get her when she wakes up in the morning and from her naps. She is so big and grown up.... Time sure does fly............

My little shadow

Little girls are the best!! My Shay is just like my Lysh was at this age. She likes to do everything mommy does. She "helps" me with whatever I may be doing....

• When I do the laundry, she "helps" me. Which, of course, means I have to refold what she has attempted to do, and it takes twice as long, but I love it still. Love teaching her and spending time with her.

• When I sweep, she holds the pan so I can sweep the dirt in it.She even has her own little broom so she can "help" me sweep.
  

• When we vacuum, she likes to be right beside us, sometimes holding the cord, pretending to do it too. She especially likes to help wind the cord back up after we are done.

She is right there with me all day. When I get ready for the day, she "gets ready" with me. She brushes her teeth with me, puts on deodorant, and pretends to put in contacts, just like mommy. She especially likes it when I put on make up. I let her sit on my dresser and she pretends to put on some make up too. I let her hold the blush brush, and she copies everything I do. I always put some lip gloss on her. (I do not use lipstick, but just a light gloss). This is her favorite part, and mine, cause she puckers those sweet little lips out for me to put it on her.

She is learning all the time. She is striving for her independence, wanting to do things herself. She wants to open her juice cup so I can pour in her refill, turn out the lights herself when we leave the room, carry her "purse" (a.k.a diaper bag) when we leave the house, get her own utensil out when it is time to eat.... etc. If you forget and do it for her, she gets upset. She is learning and growing up so quickly.

She plays independently really well, but she likes to be in sight of me. She does not venture off by herself. If I head into her bedroom or mine to clean up, she comes toddling in there with her toys she was playing with and sits on the floor and plays til I am done. She just wants to be near mommy or sissy.

Speaking of Sissy.. she LOVES her sissy. Lysh with get on the floor and rough house with her and she just laughs and screams. That is her favorite time! Lysh will hide in the hallway and "roar", which makes shayla scared, but she LOVES to be scared so she will just scream and run into the hallway!! Lysh will hide and jump out and scare her and Shay just eats it up, she LOVES it. Sissy is so much fun!

Her most favorite thing in the world is to help me cook/bake. I put her on the counter as I prepare food and she gets her own spoon to stir and "help". Sissy bakes alot, so she really loves to help stir the batter and then she gets to lick the spoon afterward, which is good and sugary. Cooking dinner is her favorite time of the day. Just like everything else, she slows me down, but they are only little once........

She is also a very prissy little one. She does not like for anything to get on her hands. She comes to me, hands out in front, saying "oh no, dirty". Which is so funny cause most of the time there is just a little something on one little finger. But she feels dirty. When we go outside to play in the sand box, she would be ready to go in after 30 minutes cause she was dirty - haha. (I hear boys are just the opposite). My other sweet girl was the exact same way, just mommy's little shadow. Shay is more adventurous though, she will leave my side, whereas Lysh was a shy little thing and never ventured far from me when we went places.

I do love little girls... Did i say that? They are sweet, sweet, sweet!

MY GIRLS

Shay in the laundry basket!

Lysh and her bestie at halloween

My very grown up looking girl - soon to be 15!

Shay loves to hold the camera while you take a picture. We have many, many close up pics like this... cracks me up!! Loving this age!!!

32 weeks - another doctors visit

This picture is just one of the things I will miss and NEVER again be able to use once this baby boy arrives. I love Maternity parking... hahaha... I am easily pleased. It is just a "perk" of being big and uncomfortable. Not many stores around here have it, unfortunately, so I make it a point to go to the ones that do. All for a parking spot. :)

I went to the doctor today and all is well. I have gained a total of 17 lbs. I am gaining less with this one than with Shay, which is normal since I do not have the diabetes this time. I go back in three weeks. It is really going by fast now. The end is coming up soon and I just cannot believe it is almost over. I am trying to remember it and enjoy it, since it is my last one.

November so soon?

I really cannot believe it is November. The weather is typical of Florida, still warm and hot. Still shorts and flip flops. Which is fine cause I do not have alot of long sleeve maternity tops, but I have a load of short sleeve.

I cannot believe I am 32 weeks. I have not accomplished things I wanted to, specifically with Shayla. I really wanted to have her potty trained and in her big girl bed by the time this baby comes. Neither of this has happened. I do believe she is ready to start potty training in some ways, but I am so big and uncomfortable that is seems like such a chore. I gave it a great big try this week. She woke up with her diaper all dry and I put big girl panties on her and gave her lots to drink. She peed once before naptime... on the floor. We did spend alot, alot alot of time sitting on the potty. She enjoys the potty, enjoys wiping and feeling like a big girl. She simply does not understand when she has the urge. Of course, when I laid her down for her nap, with her pull up on, she woke up with a full pull up. Could she really have held it?

My baby sleeps til 9:00 everyday. Then she plays in the crib for an hour almost every morning. This is why I have not moved her over yet. I love sleeping in a little extra. Once I put her in a big girl bed she will get up immediately upon waking and come to me. I know she is ready, I am not ready. I like the crib. I like sleeping in. I do not get much sleep as it is, so sleeping in a little is a nice treat for me. I am too big and uncomfortable to rest now. I pee three times a night. I have to HEAVE myself to change positions. This is all normal, I remember this with Shay, but it is definitely no fun.

On a funny note, my teenager says to me this week, "you no longer have a cute baby bump, now it just looks like you have a watermelon strapped to your tummy." Gee Whiz, thanks. :(